Safety catch for badge pins



M. FOLKMAN Jan. 15, 1929. 4 1,698,843

SAFETY CATCH FOR BADGE Pms Filed Feb 16, 1928 INVENTOR T E MMW I ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- MORRIS FOLKMAIL OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SAFETY CATCI-I'FOR BADGE PINS.

Application filed February 16, 1928. Serial No. 254,745.

This invention relates to a safety catch for use particularly on fraternity badges and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a positive safety catch which will securely hold the badge or emblem when pinned on the clothes of the wearer, and this result is attained by the pin element entering a slot in a resilient tubular catch or keeper, said catch being rotatably advanced to surround a portion of said pin larger than the slot, said rotation engaging meanwhile the exterior of said resilient tubular catch or keeper within a non-resilient fixed support. After the pin .5 is locked in this manner any attempt to unfasten the pin by pulling on the pin itself, or conversely by pulling on the emblem, will tend to expand the resilient tubular keeper a trifle and cause said tubular keeper to become locked within said non-resilient support preventing the necessary rotation of said tubular keeper which is required in order to free the pin. When necessary, however, the pin may be released by manually rotating said tubular keeper to its original position by means of a projection thereon.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged side view of an emblem or the like equipped with my safety catch, shown in the closed position; Fig. 2 1s an end view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same, shown in the open position.

Referring specifically to the drawings, a pin 1 having the customary pointed end 2 is mounted by a suitable hinge 3 upon the front or emblem bearing portion 4. At a predetermined distance from the hinge 3 is fixed a non-resilient support 5 having arms 5*. R0- tatably mounted upon said support 5, as by means of a pin 6, is a swin ing keeper comprising a plate or section 7 through which the pin 6 extends, a resilient tubular section or part 8 and an operating projection 9. The said tubular section 8 is provided with a slot 10 adapted to receive the coacting portion of the taper 2 of the pin 1, allowing said pin 1 to pass through said slot 10 and engage with the inner side 11 of the tubular section 8. It will be noted that said inner side 11 of the tu- 00 bular section is longer than the outer or entering side 12 to provide that the pin 1 shall bear upon said side 11 before (by the rocking of the keeper) the entering side 12 is forced between the projecting corners 13 of the arms of the aforesaid non-resilient support 5. This pressure it will be seen aids materially in forcing the free corners 14: of the tubular section 8 to approach one another sufficiently to allow them to enter between the arms of the non-resilient support 5. Said free corners 14 may conveniently be rounded off approximately about pin 6 as a center to facilitate the above action.

It will be seen that the progressive rotation. of the tubular section 8 causes it to surround successively larger portions of the taper 2 on the pin 1 until when in the closed positionsee Fig. 1the pin 1 cannot be withdrawn from the slot 10.

A tongue 15 may conveniently project" from the rocking section 7 whereby the clothing engaged between the pin 1 and said tongue 15 will transmit pressure to said tongue 15 and materially aid in the easy locking of the catch and furthermore will maintain a pressure upon said tongue 15 in a di motion to maintain it in the locked position.

Then it is desired to release the catch the pro ection 9 must be manually pressed out or back thereby rocking the keeper and relieving the pressure of the pin 1 against the entering side 12, which pressure has prevented any contraction of the resilient section 8, and causing the free corners 14 to again approach one another sufliciently to allow th opening of the catch.

I claim:

1. A catch for a pin, comprising a rocking keeper having a resilient tube slotted to permit the pin to be entered sidewise into the tube, and a support having arms between which the tube may be entered by rocking the same to compress the tube against the pin.

2. A catch for a pin, comprising a support having a pair of rigid arms, and a keeper pivoted to the support beside said arms and having a resilient tube with a longitudinal slot in line with. the space between said arms whereby the pin may be entered into said tube through said slot and the keeper rocked inwardly to force it between the arms and compress the tube against the pin.

3.-A catch as in claim 2, the keeper als having a finger piece whereby it may be rocked outwardly to release the pin.

t. A catch as in claim 2, the keeper also having a tongue projecting inwardly to engage behind material held by the pin.

5. The combination with a pivoted pin, of a catch for the free end thereof comprising a pair of rigid arms between which said end of the pin may swing, and a resilient tube beside said arms, having a slotin line with the resilient slotted tube pivoted crosswise to rock 10 pin to permit it to swing into the tube, the in the plane of the pin when the pin is swung tube being pivoted to swing between the arms through the slot and into the tube, and means and thereby compress the tube against the to compress the tube against the pin by the 5 pin when rocked inwardly and to withdraw rocking action o'f'the tube.

the tube from between the arms, to release the In testimony whereof I do aflix my signa- 5 pin, when rocked outwardly. ture.

6. The combination with a pivoted pin, of e a catch for the free end thereof comprising a. MORRIS FOLKMAN. 

